"The pieces are set, and the dice are in play. But does every pony have the heart for this day?"

Nearly two hundred years have passed since Rarity Belle merged with the Crystal Heart and took the throne of the Crystal Empire. Since then, through her care, determination, and vision, the Empire has flourished like never before. Now Empress Rarity stands as not a ruler of a providence, but the monarch of a rising superpower.

Today though, is the Empress' Birthday, and Lady Merry Sapphire, seneschal to the Empress, is determined to make this the best birthday Rarity has ever had. Little does she know that not everypony shares her enthusiasm for today...

Notes:
This is an official prequel to the Princess Twilight Sparkle's Birthday stories, created by Autumnschild. This story will develop and expand much of the world we made, but taking place 250 years before PTS500 and its sequel, PTS505. Due to its time gap and status as a prequel, you do not need to read the stories created by Autumnschild, and I have done my best to help that. However, knowing what happened in them will help you be a bit more aware of what is going on, and I encourage you to go read them for they are very enjoyable.

We now have our own group! Come check out the Birthdayverse!

Credit goes to Autumnschild for the proofreading for this story.
Razalon The Lizardman is credited for the grammatical overhaul.

Great thanks goes to these two, for this story would not be as good without them.

Rainbow Dash is gone.
Two Years ago she performed a trick to eclipse all others, and vanished without a trace. Everypony has started to get over it, although for five ponies the loss is to great even now. In respect the Wonderbolts do a performance for her at the site of her death. However, a certain Cyan mare is hard to kill, and is loyal to the ends of the universe, she can say that with certainty now, she’s been, and now she’s back. But what is she wearing, and where did she go for two years? Buckle up, for in Equestria there may be peace, but in the 41st Millennium, there is only war.

Now with a sequel: The Descent into Madness

Featured: 06/05/2014. Thanks so much to you guys.

Rated Teen for Violence and Grim dark references

This story is similar in ideas to Into the Black: A mares tale, Diamond of the Capital Wasteland and Halo: On the wings of Angels

New cover art done by Reapers Inc

WARNING: Comments contain spoilers. Proceed into that section at your own risk.

In the EQG Holiday Special, Sunset figured out that Anon-a-Miss was actually Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom.
But what if things happened differently?
What if Sunset never figured out who Anon-a-Miss really was?
What if her friends refused to listen after her little chat with Twilight?
For those who haven't seen it, the comic can be read here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-MMfsFt2NE

This isn't the Equestria you know. The days of resolving things peacefully are well past. Friendship is just a luxury. All that matters is Order. That is where the true peace is: in Her Highness' Vision. No alternative, no questions. Either follow it and live by her grace, or deny it and face merciless retribution. The full force of her holy wrath, dealt by her most Vicious Agent.

It's not an easy job, but someone has to do it. Books can't find their way home on their own. Have to get 'em all, and Celestia help those who get between them and their guardian angel. He's a mean one.

And I should know: I'm him.

{Equestria Daily featured, 5/9/2014}

In the quaintest and furthest stellar reaches of your race's empire, an anomalous planet has been discovered in orbit around a G-type main sequence star.

You are a high researcher of the Star Guild, and you have been tasked with leading a joint expedition to this mysterious world. But what lies in store there? A grand paradise laden with ancient magics to fuel your people's scientific strides, or just another disappointing backwater prime only for farming and industry? One thing is already clear to both yourself and the Guild: nature does not concentrate so much magic on one world and its moon just on its own.

Just a little experiment of mine into the realm of second person narrative, so it may be a little rough

Cover art and partial inspiration by flamevulture17

Zippoorwhill's beloved Scoltish Terrier has gone missing! Now it's up to Featherweight to help the frantic filly reclaim her beloved pet.
...And maybe learn a little something about trusting one's friends in the process.

Zippoorwhill/Featherweight friendshipping.

Octavia Melody's love of music has revolved around a single influential and prestigious work of art, the song May Our Sun Shine Forever. Since she was a filly, what has been the Equestrian national anthem for generations has continually inspired Octavia to perform, shaping her into the promising cellist she is today. Though the completed original was lost to the passage of time, the remnants of the final masterpiece composed by the Grand Maestro Glissando has been the cornerstone of not only Octavia's career, but modern music theory in Equestria.

When the tattered remains of an ancient songbook possibly containing the original song in its entirety is found, the Equestrian Society for the Performing Arts and Princess Luna begin planning a concert series to celebrate the work's eventual restoration. However, their meeting screeches to a halt once Princess Celestia vehemently forbids anypony from playing the original in the concert and demands its restoration to cease immediately. Octavia Melody finds herself at a loss, wondering why the princess of the sun would silence such a beautiful song meant to bring light to the world.

Proofread and Edited by TheAncientPolitzanian and various others over the years of trying to fix this thing.
Cover Art Depressing Melody by TertonDA
Updated 02/27/24

Five hundred years after the Discord's first defeat, a lone unicorn scientist makes an interesting discovery. Across Canterlot, over the last few centuries, accident rates have increased in the area around the Royal Palace. His work is ridiculed by his peers, but comes to the attention of the Princesses, who know exactly what is happening: Discord is waking up. With Luna and Celestia, he concocts a plan to stop the Lord of Chaos forever.

===
Cover art butchered from UnderwoodART's render of the stained glass in S02E01.
This story is based on S1/S2 (Discord was never released and reformed) and sits within my Soot-Covered World canon, but is stand-alone. No knowledge of the other books is required.

All thanks to ascendant, NoeCarrier, turol, KMCA, Caliaponia and billymorph for their prereading and editing over the life of this story.

It has been weeks since the defeat of the Dazzlings, and Sunset Shimmer's friendships have only gotten stronger. Whilst finally relaxing in the times of peace, Sunset discovers an old enemy: Sonata Dusk. Strangely alone and apparently homeless, Sonata's luck seems to be at its all time low.
Seeing a little of herself in the former siren, Sunset embarks on a mission to help Sonata find friendship.

(For anyone who liked the old cover art, here's a side-by-side comparison of the old and new: http://daniel-gleebits.deviantart.com/art/Go-Compare-Twiddles-moustache-581352606 )

TV Tropes page: Feel free to add whatever tropes you find
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/TheEveningSonata

This story is a sequel to Feeling Pinkie Keen - Extended Cut

Despite setbacks and sabotage, Twilight Sparkle presses on in her search to uncover the history of the Lunar Rebellions. What she finds is something else entirely.

Spike won’t rest until he sees Twilight home safely. The concerns of Ponyville and his colleagues are just another distraction.

Fluttershy just wants to be left alone. The Everfree Forest has other plans.

A mystery drama based on the Season 1 episode Stare Master.

Co-written with Serketry.